Still no more news about this, then - the last I heard, it had been pushed back until 2007.

It should be an interesting set, anyway. Apparently it's 6 discs, which makes me think all four studio albums will be on there. The big draw would be if they digitally remastered the entire collection, with Marr overseeing it this time - I thought the sound quality of the "Very Best Of" release was excellent, but Marr thinks it could be better, so let him have a go. It sounds like the band are actually involved with this release.

The studio albums could have various related b-sides as "bonus tracks" - for example, The Queen is Dead would include as bonus tracks the single version of "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side", as well as "Rubber Ring", "Asleep", "Money Changes Everything" and "Unloveable". That would leave disc 5 for all the non-album-related singles and b-sides, an a sixth disc for rarities - different versions, live tracks, unreleased demos, etc.

Well I hope there's a rarities cd or at least some good live recordings... If it's just their discography repacked inside of a beautiful box... I don't want it.

EDIT: I just saw what's on the new Mojo! Oh God, I DO want the box so bad!!!! It will be a rarities box set!

"WHAT GOES ON !-(page 14.)THEY CAN SMILE ABOUT IT NOW.

Photo book captures The Smiths in their first flush. Plus, is the band's long awaited box set finally ready?

However long a major band lasts, there is something ineffably alluring about their first photographs. Paul Slattery was on hand for The Smiths'infancy and his new book:The Smiths:The Early Years, presents edited but copious highlights.It covers 1983 and 1984, years when Slattery photographed the group on eight separate occasions. There are handsome live shots in abundance from Glastonbury, Paris and London-Morrissey's quiff, you notice,has yet to come to full glory at the May 1983 show at the University of London-and numerous posed group shots, including this cheery image of Morrissey and Johnny Marr at the Manchester Central station, also from May 1983.An extended sequence of The Smiths backstage at The University of East Anglia in February 1984, meanwhile, shows uncommon scenes of the band pre and post-gig.

Also stirring up the band's meteoric but brief lifetime are indications that a 4-CD box set of rarities and remastered albums may at least be appearing. Rumoured since 2001, and reputedly held up by in-band disagreement, the box set has now been approved by Morrissey and Marr.

"There isn't really that much unreleased music", Marr told Mojo, "but there's good versions of songs, of golden oldies, stripped down original takes before lots of overdubs went on-just the three of us putting down the take and the vocal and that's it.Those things sound really, really good. And there's a lot of great live stuff' cos we were a phenomenal live band".

A source from Warner said that, contrary to popular belief, the label is keen to see the remastered albums available again and that plans also include releasing 2-CD editions of The Smiths' albums and all of their singles on vinyl, in 7- and 12-inch formats."

The Smiths: The Early Years by Paul Slattery is published by Omnibus at ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£19.95.